They want to play a role in enabling champions to approach very high performance. The 1,300 osteopaths gathered within the association of osteopaths of France are meeting in congress next Friday, May 13, 2022, in Paris, with the desire to draw up an inventory of their action since their entry into the sporting world during the 98 World Cup in particular.
Today, they share the specificities of their profession with doctors and physiotherapists, without being able to be considered as health professionals in their own right when they are only osteopaths. It is therefore difficult for them to gain access to federations and clubs when they are not specifically invited to do so.
Rhône Alpes Auvergne delegate for Osteopaths of France, Baptiste Izoulet is campaigning for his profession to be able to integrate more easily into the cells surrounding the champions. He defends what he calls integrative medicine, which brings together several specialists around athletes.
“I really like this term of integrative medicine to frame the athlete throughout his career, to go from injury prevention to allow the body to find its balance, and there is another point that I also likes to address is post-career, since the trauma caused by high-level sport has repercussions for the future. The place of the osteopath is also after the career of the athlete.
Doctor Jean-Marcel Ferret, doctor of the French football team from 1993 to 2004, mogul ski coaches, physiotherapists, former athletes will discuss during this congress and share their experience with the aim of improve champion support.
“For an athlete to perform, the body and mind must be as fluid as possible.specifies Baptiste Izoulet. There may be a medical, physiotherapy or dental concern, all of this must be identified, discussed as a team, treated and then the athlete must feel good with the care that has been administered.
“I think that today we can no longer ignore a multidisciplinary staff since other countries do it, and do it very well with integrative medicine. To be efficient today, you have to be accompanied. And unfortunately not all federations have a full medical staff.”
Baptiste Izouletat franceinfo
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